[AMNA]
Veteran singer Mary Linda, one of the most celebrated voices in Greek popular music for decades, has died at the age of 90. She had been living in a care facility in her later years.
Born Maria Dimitropoulou in Pyrgos, in the western Peloponnese, Linda began performing at a young age, appearing in variety shows and cabarets before meeting renowned composer and bouzouki virtuoso Manolis Hiotis. Their collaboration went on to become one of the most successful musical partnerships in Greece during the 1960s.
Linda and Hiotis were married from 1959 to 1966 and performed together extensively, including in numerous Greek films. Linda’s fame was also helped by a first prize won at the Thessaloniki Song Contest in 1961.
In 1964, during a tour of the United States with Hiotis, Linda performed at the White House in honor of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The duo also attracted an international following, with actor Anthony Perkins and world-renowned soprano Maria Callas among their reported admirers.
In later years, Linda continued to perform and collaborate with leading figures of Greek music. She joined forces with singer Haris Alexiou for club appearances in Athens during the 1995-1996 winter season, worked with Glykeria in 2002-2003, and gave her final club performances in the 2011-2012 season alongside artists including Anna Vissi.
